Brandt Snedeker had plenty to celebrate after Team USA produced a remarkable comeback to win the 2026 Presidents Cup, but the American captain made sure to single out two names in particular — President Donald Trump and rookie Jackson Koivun.
The United States entered Sunday’s singles matches three points behind the International Team at Medinah Country Club, leaving Snedeker and his players with a difficult task. After struggling through the first three days of team competition, the Americans needed a huge response in singles.
They delivered exactly that.
Team USA won nine of the 12 singles matches and eventually secured a 17–13 victory, extending the Americans’ winning streak in the Presidents Cup to 11 consecutive editions.
For Snedeker, the victory was especially meaningful because he had spent much of Saturday questioning his own captaincy decisions after the Americans fell behind. He had publicly taken responsibility for the team’s three-point deficit, saying he did not believe he had “held up” his end of the bargain.
But everything changed on Sunday.
SNEDEKER PRAISES HIS TEAM AFTER THE COMEBACK
The American players responded with a dominant display in the singles.
Cameron Young and Justin Thomas got the United States moving early, while Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup and others continued to build momentum as the scoreboard gradually turned in the Americans’ favor.
Snedeker later reflected on the performance with obvious pride, emphasizing how strongly his players responded when their backs were against the wall.
He also pointed to the unique history of Medinah, a venue where he had previously experienced disappointment as part of the U.S. team at the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Snedeker said he had told his players that “funny stuff” happens at Medinah — and the Americans ultimately produced one of the most memorable Sunday comebacks in Presidents Cup history.
JACKSON KOIVUN EMERGES AS ONE OF THE HEROES
One of the biggest stories of the final day was Jackson Koivun.
The 21-year-old rookie found himself in serious trouble against South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, trailing by two holes through 10.
Instead of allowing the deficit to decide the match, Koivun responded by winning three consecutive holes and completely changing the momentum.
He then delivered another huge moment on the 18th.
Koivun struck a quality tee shot and followed it with an approach that put him in position to finish the match. He eventually closed out a 2-up victory, giving the American team another crucial point as the comeback gathered pace.
Snedeker was particularly impressed by the way the rookie handled the pressure.
“The kid is special. He’s different,” Snedeker said, highlighting Koivun’s ability to stand over the decisive shots despite being only 21 years old.
Koivun had already made history simply by making the American team at such a young age. But his performance on Sunday showed why Snedeker had selected him for the Presidents Cup in the first place.
SNEDEKER ALSO SPEAKS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
President Donald Trump was present at Medinah for the start of Sunday’s singles matches and addressed the crowd before the competition got underway.
Trump, serving as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup, kept his remarks brief before the matches began. He also remained at the venue for the trophy presentation after the United States secured the victory.
After the Americans completed their comeback, Snedeker specifically acknowledged Trump during his comments.
According to The Independent, Snedeker said Trump had told him before the singles matches that he would bring energy to the team and that the players needed it.
Snedeker then publicly thanked Trump and said that, if the Americans completed the comeback, Trump would get the credit for that energy.
The comment came as Snedeker reflected on the atmosphere at Medinah, where the home crowd was heavily behind the United States throughout the singles session.
Rather than simply focusing on individual performances, the captain emphasized the collective effort of his players and the atmosphere surrounding the team.
A COMEBACK THAT CHANGED THE ENTIRE STORY
The final result was a dramatic turnaround from where the Americans had been less than 24 hours earlier.
The International Team had entered Sunday with a 10½–7½ lead and appeared to be in control after three days of team matches.
For Snedeker, that position had created plenty of pressure.
But the singles format gave the United States an opportunity to completely change the momentum, and the Americans took it.
Nine U.S. players won their singles matches, while the remaining match was halved after the overall result had already been decided. The 17–13 victory gave Team USA its 11th consecutive Presidents Cup title.
Jacob Bridgeman ultimately secured the clinching point against Min Woo Lee, rolling in a short par putt on the 18th hole to officially put the Americans over the required total.
By then, the atmosphere had completely changed.
What had looked like a difficult Sunday for Team USA had become another American Presidents Cup celebration.
KOIVUN’S PERFORMANCE ADDS TO THE CELEBRATION
Koivun’s victory was particularly significant because of his age and lack of Presidents Cup experience.
The rookie had entered the competition with enormous expectations after being selected by Snedeker, but the final day presented an entirely different level of pressure.
Being two down through 10 holes against an experienced international opponent could have overwhelmed a first-time player.
Instead, Koivun fought back.
His three-hole run shifted the match, and his final-hole execution helped secure the 2-up victory. The American team gathered around him afterward, celebrating another critical point in what had become a remarkable comeback.
For Snedeker, Koivun’s performance offered another reason to be proud of the young player he had trusted with a place on the team.
SNEDEKER’S CAPTAINCY STORY ENDS WITH A CELEBRATION
The victory also transformed the narrative surrounding Snedeker’s captaincy.
After Saturday’s disappointing result, the captain had openly questioned his own decisions and accepted responsibility for the position in which his team found itself.
By Sunday evening, however, those doubts had been replaced by celebration.
His players had responded when it mattered most, and several of the decisions and performances that had been questioned earlier in the week became part of a championship-winning story.
The victory also meant Snedeker did not have to leave Medinah wondering what might have happened.
Instead, he watched his team overcome a three-point deficit and produce one of the most impressive final-day performances in Presidents Cup history.
And in the middle of that celebration, he made sure to recognize the players who delivered the comeback, the atmosphere that surrounded the team, and the role he believed Trump played in energizing the occasion.
For Jackson Koivun, meanwhile, the Presidents Cup ended with a defining moment in his young career.
A rookie who was only 21 years old had faced a two-hole deficit on the final day and responded with the composure needed to win his singles match.
For Snedeker, that performance was proof that Koivun belonged on the stage.
And for Team USA, the 17–13 victory ensured another Presidents Cup triumph — extending an American winning streak that now stretches to 11 consecutive editions.
